Define your story with an effiicient outline, So that readers have aclear understanding of your story.

Hello, Readers
My topic this week is outlining. Again you may scoff at the idea. I have found several wonderful reference books that can help. Today I am highlighting two indie authors that are so helpful to writers like me. K.M.Weiland of Outlining your Novel workbook, Katherine King of The Love Plot workbook. I chose to purchase the workbooks from each of these so that I could write all over them. Each have separate novels about this topic available as well. Both authors have blogs themselves, and websites where you can email them with questions. Both women have been very helpful for me.

Many think that outlining takes away from the creative process of writing. It does if you allow it too. If all you are focusing on is how many chapters, how long, if its exactly like the outline you created no variations, etc. Then you deviate from the whole point of your story, and what an outline is supposed to be. An outline in my opinion is just a rough sketch of what you are hoping to accomplish with your story. It is a guideline of sorts that helps you keep on track, pace, and plot. Both of these books are excellent examples of how an outline can be helpful.  (Example from; The love plot workbook page 16)

This is the basic set up outline:

•    Act 1~Setup

• Part One~Set up    

1. Opening image
2. Hook
3. Inciting incident
4. Plot point One
In each of these parts both books go into detail about how each part needs to work to complete the whole.                              

For me and my logical brain I love the outline process, it gives me a clear direction of where I am  in my story, where I am going, what I am moving the plot towards.  I can periodically check to make sure if I am on the right track and then I am back to the creative center of my writing.

My point of these blogs is not to claim these are the right ways to write. I am sharing with you all valuable information that I have learned, and products I have used to simplify the process. With hundreds of books on the market today specifically for writer reference I hope I have helped narrow your search in which books to chose, or try, or check out from the library (which honestly is what I do the most.) In conclusion this is just another example of a process I use to create my fiction. I hope this information has been helpful to you all.
See you again soon readers.
As I always say; "Writing like life is a work in progress."
=) Jess